This research explored and validated value-based organizational indicators in order to enable coconstruction of the American Red Cross Leadership Academy. Participation in the leadership experience would foster deeper membership accountability toward fulfilling requisite disaster response functions. Through an appreciative inquiry method, a cohort discovered and acknowledged individual, collective, and organizational strength-based values. An emergent cohort profile was generative in nature and cultivated vision statements that synchronized collective strengths and values with organizational responsibilities. Self-identified strengths and values provided tangible traction upon which associates could foster design and deployment accountability strategies. The cohort was able to create a customized leadership curriculum to endow skill and capacity development germane to organizational obligation.

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Keywords:  American Red Cross, leadership, team building, ARC Leadership Academy